In its technical make-up the RP1 is similar to, but not exactly like, several other lightweight roadsters. The tub is a carbonfibre one – of the good sort, not the cheaper sort, but I’ll come back to that – with steel subframes hung from either end.

Weight is claimed at 580kg, with a 47 percent front, 53 percent rear balance. And given that the Ecoboost engine is tuned to produce 320bhp, the car should get along fairly well. Elemental is yet to produce a full set of numbers because this is a prototype, but it estimates a 0-60mph time of 2.8sec and a 0-100mph time of 6.4sec, which is what you’d hope it should do. As I write in July the company is working on a production-spec car, with deliveries expected early in 2016.

Elemental calls this a prototype, but I’ve driven ‘production ready’ cars that don’t feel quite so pleasingly finished. The carbonfibre is well presented, the lightweight one-piece seats slide back and forth easily and the cabin is simple and clean.

Some things will change – the seat will go lower, the pedals will adjust too and some more elbow room will be put into the carbonfibre tub. All of those will benefit the driving position (and the aero), although it’s far from a disaster now. What is quaint, and cool, is a high foot position, which allows the space for that front diffuser. It’s something you notice and that feels odd once, but then you never think about again. It’s very natural.

What it does on the move only reinforces that. At the moment this is a hard-worked prototype with a limited-slip differential that has a slight grumble and snatch, although that’s simple enough to iron out and it isn’t an issue on bigger throttle inputs.

What’s already extremely well sorted is the smoothness of the pneumatic paddle-shift change on the gearbox, whose clutch you can forget about once you’re rolling. Upshifts and downshifts are smooth, while engine response is good. Delivery is a touch boosty, as you’d expect, and the soundtrack is accompanied by the odd whoosh and whistle, but there’s honest mechanical noise and power is easily metered out. And there’s bags of torque.

However, approach the limits of adhesion mid-corner instead and the RP1 understeers not at all before allowing the tail to slide utterly controllably and predictably wide, from where it’s easy and instinctive to gather up, with no untoward body movements or rocking. It handles beautifully.

We only drove this car on a closed circuit, and even though its surface wasn’t brilliant I wouldn’t want to say too much about the ride other than it feels about as firm as it ought and needs to be. The unassisted 2.5-turn steering is wonderfully natural and feelsome, too.

Some customers might want a faster rack, but if it were, it’d be heavier and more nervy, so I think the balance is about right. In fact, the whole dynamic experience feels right to me, and at the moment it’s the standout highlight of this track-orientated car.